The Truth Doesn't Make A Noise
by Wide-Eyed For Pontmercy
Summary: A beautiful Avox was once a girl who dared to challenge Panem. Always watching, she bids her time and waits for the opportunity to rebel again. The fate of the districts are tied to her, just as much as they are tied to Katniss. *further summary within*


**The Red-Haired Girl**

Power, lust, corruption, greed, hate....the typical feelings of a leader in Panem, the combined 12 Districts. But there were once 13 Districts, once prosperity. With the end of the 13th District came the end of civility, and the birth of the Hunger Games. It was in this era that Ariere, the daughter of a leader in District 1, the most wealthy of the 12, was born. She knew that all is not as it seems, and ran away with her lover at the age of 16. But no one runs away from the Panem.

She was brought back, defeated and silent. No longer cherished in society, but labeled as an Avox, the worst of criminals. Forced to serve the oblivious citizens of the Capitol, and the ill-fated contestants of the Hunger Games. But she never stopped planning. Trails led to answers. Her beauty first only gave pain but then gained her secrets, then eventually the obsessive attention the Capitol's brightest star... But it was her voice that became the obsession of the most wanted criminal in Panem. Caught up in the tangles of lies that served as the foundation of Panem, Ariere must chose between the most powerful men in the world. After rising to power, losing it and being a most loathed being, she is once again brought to the top. Just trying to survive against the political leaders who want her dead, the men that crave her love, and struggles that seem to inhabit Panem, Ariere becomes one of the keys to the fate of the Districts.

**Distant Memories-Or- Reasons Why**

I was running. Cruel branches whipped against my face, dry leaves shattered beneath my booted feet. My breath came in little gasps, around my face showed white air. It was so cold, my lungs felt so dry. But I was determined, and we were so close. I would look back at the beloved face of Suret, and run faster. The officials would be near us soon in their deadly hover-car, we both knew it. My icy hand was holding Suret's, I led him through the woods. Suret...the boy who loved me, the boy who trusted me ….the boy who wanted the government of Panem to collapse, for all of the leaders to die the same horrible death his family had. The forest had seemed never-ending, I knew that we had must've reached District 12 by then. But then the bird-song stopped. I ran faster. But it was obvious to us that we were doomed. I stopped, tugged Suret to do the same. Frantically pressed my freezing lips to his before urgently searching for somewhere to hide.

Then I saw a girl and boy in the distance. They looked younger then me, but were obviously hunters; their stance and keen eyes gave away all to much. They stared at us from a tiny space in a rock, their hiding place. I wanted to call for their help, I crouched; ready to pull Suret to their hidden nook. But then the hover car came out of no where. I tried to run, but a net began to smother me, pulled me up into the sky. A spear flew into Suret's stomach, killing him instantly. He was never important to them. I screamed his name, my eyes on the hiding girl in the rock. I never knew it would be the last sound I'd make. I heard the birds begin to sing again before obviation overtook me.

**Cruel, Cruel Fate**

Ariere woke a little after dawn every morning, with all of the other Avoxs in her station. She was considered lucky; her beauty and quick reflexes had made her a valuable asset to serving others. She rose from her pallet just like the other girls in her room. The mandatory white shift was donned, her deep red hair braided and teeth brushed, and she reported down to what was called the "Foyer". She received her daily instructions in the foyer, as well as her meals and rations. The line of girls walking down to the already crowded room were silent. And they were always silent-every last one of them had their tongues cut out. All of the pretty hard-working girls did not chose to be servants, they were criminals of the worst kind and had been forced into labor for the end of their days. Yet the young girls that Ariere lived with had it the best out of other Avoxs, they were young and lovely, and so had the easy job of serving the citizens of the Capitol. Other older, uglier Avoxs weren't so fortunate and were forced as prostitutes for the poorer Districts or became test-subjects for Capitol surgeons.

Ariere stood third in the line of Avox girls. She was the perfect example of an Avox serving girl; back straight with her pretty head held low and eyes looking at the ground. Her white hands laid limply at her sides, and her expression blank. Haze, the woman in charge of the girls, stared at the line of criminals before her proudly. She experienced a strangely sentimental moment as she looked at the group of dead-looking girls who had once been so rebellious, then quickly issued orders for the week. They would obey, of course, and she was already late for a hair-appointment. The girls quietly filed out the room and to their designated locations, ready to begin work for the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ariere~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It appears to be time for another Hunger Game. Time seems to hold no meaning for me now, but I guess I have been a cursed Avox for just a bit over two years. I remember myself those years ago; excited and alive as Suret and I planned our escape. We had been so naïve to think that we would just leave our pasts' and find District 13. I shook those useless thoughts as I walked through the halls of a grand hotel. I had been assigned to care for room 12, the room that shall house Katniss Everdeen, a girl who shall compete in the Hunger Games. She has already made quite the impression I heard as I walked, no one could stop whispering about her. I entered the room. Not much work need be done I thought blankly. I dusted the counters and made the bed, then put flowers on most of the surfaces. I'm sure the girl from the poorest District will enjoy the luxurious room before she joins the Game and is slaughtered like the rest.

I left the room and went down to the Dining Hall, where I would spend the rest of the day working. I donned a red apron over my shift and served the idiots who call themselves Citizens. They disgust me, the people who care more about their ridiculous appearances over everything else. But I also envy them, the freedom they take for granted, and the innocent, childish way they view life. I lost my innocence long before I lost Suret.

My shift ended once the sun sank beneath the sky, and I went to my room and stared at the wall for some time. Involuntarily, my hands wandered up to my throat. I opened my mouth and pathetic mewing sounds came out. They were the only noises I could produce. The loss of my beautiful voice, my one gift, was forever gone. This alone is a reason to hate the government, but they have given me many more reasons to do so over the years. I heard a high bell and dressed in another white shift, this one made out of silk. It was time to serve the dinners to the party from Distract 12.

I recognized the girl right away. She was changed; older and made-over by Capitol citizens, but she would always be recognizable. And I would never forget her face. Katniss Everdeen was the girl who I had saw on the day I was captured and maimed. As I served her delicacies that I had eaten as a child, I rejoiced in knowing that she would have to be a victim of the horrible Hunger Games. But I also had the feeling that she would live, somehow I just knew she would survive. She took no notice of me for most of the dinner. But then she stuttered out a shocked sentence when she had looked up for more food. I actually met her gaze. For whatever reason, I was terrified for her. My Avox position was secure, nothing I could do would change that, but if she somehow revealed that we had seen each other before, she would easily die before the Games even began. But the boy competitor saved her, and I was dismissed from the conversation and my shift. I went to my tiny room and again stared at the wall.

I was not used to having so much free time, and had no urge to take my break with the other Avoxs in the Foyer. Instead I changed out of my regulation serving shift and into my night gown. It was thin cotton, and had a row of buttons that went up past my collar bone. I let my thick red hair down and brushed it in the communal bathroom. It was empty, but it would have made no difference if more girls were in there, anyway. The silence never changed. I brushed my teeth and returned to my room. I shut off the one light and laid in bed.

The door creaked open at the usual time. I had many nightly visitors. I was supposed to be just a serving girl, but no one really cared about Avoxs anyway, and if I ignited someone's lust, they were allowed to pay me visits whenever they wished. Unlike the other Avox girls, though, my visitors were always men of intense political power and esteem. They had known my father, and all found it amusing to see me as a servant. I, who had been such a haughty, curious girl that had still rejected all of their advances. I heard the man enter strip himself of his clothes and tightly closed my eyes. When I felt him crawl on my pallet, I turned my face into the thin pillow and bit my puffy lips till I tasted blood. It would be over soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Days later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reul Dechanay stood with his back toward a huge screen that was broadcasting live footage of the Hunger Games. He ran a hand through high-lighted blond hair, and smiled confidently. His charming, symmetrical features were all natural and he was quite fond of bragging about how he had never had any surgical enhancements. A camera man gave the awaited gesture, and the paid audience made a show of turning their altered faces towards him.

"Good citizens of Panem, this Hunger Games has the potential to be the most interesting yet! So I implore you to watch the recap session everyday with me, Reul Dechanay. I'll see you there!" He cheerily waved, and the camera man gave him the other long-awaited gesture. Reul strode away. "Its about time!" he spat as he got into his hover car and directed the driver towards his favorite eatery. He, as a celebrity and political leader, had been asked to host the nightly recap session of the Hunger Games that year. The morning session was still held by the original host of the games, but the directors had decided that a young, handsome face would make the public happier. Reul jumped out of the vehicle as soon the private eatery came into sight, and brushed past the ogling citizens that had just watched him on their broadcast screens. He sat at his usual table and impatiently pressed the button for his favorite meal.

But instead of the table coming up with the meal, a Avox brought it to him accompanied by the owner of the establishment . The owner smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry , Leader Dechanay. There appears to be a glitch in the system, the tables are not working right now." With a polite bow and a nod of his pink hair, the owner left. The Avox meekly placed the food on the table and also turned to leave. Reul happily took in the sight of his steaming, multi-course meal, but then looked up at the Avox. He normal paid no attention to the servers that seemed nearly invisible, but when the server had turned to leave, he had caught a glimpse of red.

"Server," he commanded, and the Avox obediently turned around. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her skin was as white as snow, her dark, rich red hair in a thick braid down her back. She had an striking, angular face with full, sensuous lips and a noble nose. Her eyes were pointed down, and so he only could see her dark lashes. For whatever reason, Reul felt that he had to see her eyes. "Look at me." He ordered, and so she did. He was not prepared to see the rebellious fire in her up-ward tilting, aqua-colored eyes. The Leader gasped at her, he had never felt so taken with a woman. But she was an Avox, he told himself and so after another minute ogling at her beauty, he haughtily dismissed her. He continued with his day, not giving the Avox girl another thought, but her elegant face plagued his dreams that night.

Reul hosted the Hunger Games recaps every night, and he was right when they proved to be the most thrilling yet, but he could not stop thinking about the girl. After the third night he had dreamed about her, he decided he wanted answers. He asked questions and received answers. Once he knew who the girl was, he wished he had never lied eyes on her. But he knew that he couldn't leave her alone again.


End file.
